Musings Of A Fantasist

Christian Louboutin 20th Anniversary 160 Patent Leather Sandals

I had a lot of fun trying on these shoes, I could hardly stand in them and would be scared of breaking a leg if I tried to navigate myself around Liverpool City Centre in them on a Saturday night though!

They do look a bit porn star but I think they are fun and could look amazing with the right outfit and the legs. (Although this picture does NOTHING for my legs because of the angle it was taken and the fact I am wearing tights)

Louboutin 20th Anniversary Patent and Leather Asteroid 140’s

140 is about as high as I dare go at the moment with Louboutin shoes (although I’m not really that keen on going lower either unless they’re for work/business occasion) and so I am glad that these Asteroid shoes have been made at the 5.5 inch height. Retailing at £940, they are more affordable than some of the other 20th Anniversary designs and play on the classic with a twist style that Louboutin has started to experiment with (just like the Pigalle ‘Sex’ shoes).

I personally love them, although I know some are not keen on the spikes.  They are really comfy to wear as well, just like the Bianca/Banana designs which I own (although if you are on your feet all night they do begin to throb after a while, definitely ‘car to bar’ shoes!!)

Twenty years ago in a little Parisian workshop an unknown Frenchman, after seeing his assistant painting her nails bright red, decided to paint the soles of one of his designs using the very same nail varnish.  Little did he know that he had stumbled across an ingenious trademark which twenty years later would have him as the most revered shoe designer in history.  Of course it is not just the trademark red sole that makes Louboutin shoes so desirable, but the way his designs fall into one of two brackets; sleek, classy, timeless or funky, outrageous and eye-catching.  Whatever the occasion, if you wear a pair of Louboutin heels, you know your shoes are going to draw attention. 

As a Louboutin lover who avidly follows his designs with what can only be described as a borderline obsession, I was delighted to be invited to Liverpool boutique Cricket last Thursday afternoon for a look at some of the limited edition 20^th anniversary range shoes that are currently on sale at selected Louboutin stockists.  Cricket, having long been a champion, of Monsieur Louboutin’s spoils, is one of the selective boutiques chosen to stock the range and Louboutin lovers looking for their next fix will not be disappointed at the styles on display.

If someone asked me to describe my dream afternoon, I’d probably say sipping Moet, eating cupcakes, admiring gorgeous shoes and chatting about fashion pretty much hits the nail on the head and the only thing that could have made it entirely perfect would have been if the fiancé hadn’t confiscated all my bank cards before allowing me to attend to avoid any ‘accidents’.

The 20^th anniversary range is reflective of how Louboutin has avoided his success becoming his downfall by making his range that bit more expensive and that bit crazier to keep not only the exclusivity but people talking as well (when a brand becomes so popular and recognisable there is always the risk of the ‘Burberry’ disaster, where a once classic and desirable brand becomes too accessible).

My favourite shoe of the range was in fact the Daf 160 black and white graffiti boots.  I am mesmerised by how stunning and artistic they look and could almost feel myself pining for them as I left them behind in the shop for some other lucky person to buy!  I also loved the Asteroid 140 suede and patent leather pumps which are a slightly more wearable at 5.5 inches in height.  They looked classy on and were comfy and easy to wear, the 160’s on the other hand feeling like you were walking a tight rope as you tried to balance on the 6.5 inch heel!

The two stand out pieces are without doubt the 160 patent leather sandals (which I could hardly stand up in, let alone move) and the Neuron 120 suede cage sandals, both coming in at around the £2300 mark!

Shoes aside, the handbags are another triumph for Louboutin as he enters the next era of his empire with the announcement of a new beauty and perfume range to be developed on the back of his soaring success.  Previous seasons I have been disappointingly underwhelmed at his efforts in handbag design (although I do love the shoe shaped clasps on his clutches).  However, the 20^th anniversary range with a choice of shoulder bags with interesting detail on the strap are AMAZING.  My favourite is the Artemis Paris bag featuring miniature models of Paris’ most famous landmarks on the shoulder – from the ‘Eiffel Tower’ to ‘La pyramide de la Louvre’ and not forgetting my favourite ‘The Sacre Coeur’.  Not entirely practical to wear but who said fashion should be easy?

Undoubtedly this exclusive range will not be on the shelves for long so if you fancy grabbing yourself a piece of Louboutin history, get yourself along to Cricket ‘rapidement’ before it’s too late.

RUMPUS RESORT BEACHWEAR SHOP WILMSLOW.

Since starting to write my blog and becoming a fully addicted member of the Twitter community I have made many new online friends, become knowledgeable about things I would never have known about before and been welcomed into a new world of the blogging and Twitter community.  Today, however, was a first as I went to the next stage of online networking and actually met my first ‘Twitter’ friend.

I don’t remember who followed who first but over the past year I have got to know Philippa from Rumpus Resort over the social networking sight. Her tweets have entertained me and, of course, I have seen and heard all about her beachwear shop in Wilmslow (a quick look at the website made me realise it was somewhere I just HAD to visit).  Our fate to meet was sealed when we both worked out that not only did we share the same name but we were also vegetarians and, for some time now, it has been pencilled into my diary to visit her shop and look at the spoils she has on offer.

I have been eagerly awaiting today for a few weeks as I have been extremely excited at the prospect of putting together my honeymoon wardrobe and having a beach/poolside outfit of which I could feel truly comfortable and glamorous in.  I must say I have not been disappointed.  

Whenever a shopping experience involves sipping pink champagne whilst trying out an array of stunning outfits and being fussed over is something which always goes down well with me! When you are treating yourself to something special, I always think it is nice to go to a small independent shop who can do this perfectly by giving you your full attention and personalising your shopping experience so that you can walk away confident in your choice of purchases.

I tried on numerous bikinis and kaftans from the Missoni range, which I must say were absolutely stunning and flattering in equal measure.  I fell in love with a kaftan that hugged the figure like a body con dress but gave you ‘floaty wings’ to give it a flattering and expensive looking beach look.  My fiancé approved, but I had to come clean and inform him of the price, which, being a little out of our price range, caused him to have a change of heart!

I’d had a sneaky peak at the website before I came to the shop and had seen a Vix  kaftan which I knew I would fall in love with. I wasn’t wrong, and as luck would have it, I manage to snap up the last one and a gorgeous black and white bikini to match.  Being rather flat chested but having big hips and thighs, I always feel self conscious putting my body on show.  I was quite anxious that I would find something to flatter my shape, but the thick halterneck straps give the impression that there is a little more up top than there actually is and the well fitted, flattering bottoms really suited my shape.  So far so good. The outfit was looking amazing but I needed a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to take it from ‘nice walk along the beach with flip flops’ to ‘killing it at the poolside bar whilst sipping cocktails’.  Out came the Melissa Odabash ‘Jemima woven paper blend hat’. It finished the outfit off perfectly and I let out a little squeal of excitement as I realised this was exactly what I needed to buy.

I also tried on some other Vix bikinis, notably, a green halterneck ‘peacock’ bikini with matching sun dress which also looked absolutely stunning and would definitely turn heads if worn either on the beach or at the pool on holiday.

I left feeling the happiest girl on the planet and cannot thank Philippa and her colleague at Rumpus Resort enough for giving me an unforgettable shopping experience that ensured that I will be back!

If you would like to see what Rumpus Resort has on offer, check out their website www.rumpusresort.com  - Their customer base stretches as far as New York as well as boasting numerous high profile clients such as Coleen Rooney.

Here I am modelling my new beachwear haul from Rumpus Resort in Wilmslow in preparation for my Honeymoon to Fiji and LA. I think this outfit is perfect to wear with flats whilst laid out on the beach in Fiji but will work equally well with my Louboutin’s to sip cocktails by the pool at the Beverly Wilshire in LA. I actually cannot wait to go on holiday and wear it, I am so excited!!

Hat - Melissa Odabash

Kaftan - Vix

Bikini - Vix

Shoes - Christian Louboutin, Ivory snakeskin Bianca’s